‘Hold that smile’ available for dental clinics

Further to the recent announcement of the ‘Hold that smile’ campaign, the BOS have created a captioned film for patients explaining the importance of wearing retainers for life. The Society has also created a short animation aimed at young people.

‘Potential for teeth to keep moving throughout life’

The BOS is asking dentists to check patients are looking after retainers long-term as part of ongoing dental care. Simon Littlewood, the BOS authority on retention, (pictured speaking at the BOS press conference) says: ‘I think there are some misconceptions with retention. In the past, we used to think that once patients reached a certain age, their teeth would eventually be stable. Now we know that’s not true, there is potential for teeth to keep moving throughout life – it’s almost like a normal ageing phenomenon.’

He continued: ‘If a patient ever has a problem with their removable retainer or bonded retainer, it’s important that something is done about it as soon as possible because, without that retainer, teeth will relapse.’

‘Dentists can prepare their patients before they are sent to the orthodontist by informing them about the orthodontic treatment but also about the need for retention too. There is almost no point in proceeding with orthodontic treatment unless the patient is willing and able to commit to retention long-term. It’s vital that the whole dental team has a role to play in stressing the importance of retention to our patients. That includes orthodontic therapists, hygienists and nurses, to make sure our patients are motivated to commit to wearing retainers for life.’

BOS members can email our administrator Ann Wright at BOS HQ [email protected] and she’ll send you the file. Organisations which don’t belong to BOS will be invited to make a contribution to the British Orthodontic Society Foundation.